帝國禮儀制度下的娛樂變奏：以清宮燕九承應演劇為觀察

Entertainment Variations under Imperial Ritual Systems: An Observation of Yanjiu Performances in the Qing Palace

清宮節令承應演劇具備「禮儀」的意義與功能，從昇平署演出檔案看來，包括演出日期、劇目、時間、長度、地點，甚至服裝、砌末、演員等都有嚴謹規範，可視為宮廷節令慶典中的「禮儀環節」。其重複搬演雖具禮儀的穩定性，但強烈的娛樂從俗本質，仍可見其鬆動禮儀的流行變化。
承應節令中燕九尤為特殊。該節日既是全真教邱處機壽誕，北京白雲觀重要民俗節日，同時也是元宵之末、春耕之始，兼具宗教、民俗與時令等多重意涵。這種情況反映在演出劇本上產生有趣的借用、挪動與滲融，使其自乾隆至光緒百餘年持續演出。其間乾隆、道光、光緒三朝有較大變化。乾隆制定燕九承應演劇的禮儀制度，以之作為信仰、教化與儀式等服務帝國秩序的功能性作用，如將「會神仙」闡述為「忠孝為神仙根柢」，作為人倫道德教化；將邱處機「長春真人」道號轉譯為「春天」意象，加入春祈、春耕及勸農等化導。
道光鬆脫了這些功能，雖仍沿襲舊制保留承應演劇的禮儀形式，但將節戲改為開團場儀式戲劇，中間插演崑弋小戲，反映他的觀戲品味與興趣。又從燕九舊本中選擇《聖母巡行》、《群仙赴會》兩劇承應，兩劇在脚色、曲白及排場上皆較其他燕九劇佳，已見道光對演劇內容的藝術要求。此後，每逢燕九必演《聖母巡行》兩劇，遂成定制，延續至清末。
到光緒朝，承應形制大抵不變，但舊劇已難滿足上位者的觀劇興味，除了大量民間皮黃戲入宮承應，內府也有新編或新排戲，如《春臺叶慶》襲用《聖母巡行》兩劇的情節與人物，從娛樂性發揮，完全脫離宗教意涵，加入更多流行娛樂元素，敷演成一齣祝壽及賀春的喜慶劇，顯見晚清宮廷對於「承應演劇」態度的轉變。

The theatrical performances during Qing dynasty court festivals embodied significant ritual meanings and functions. Archival records from the Shengping Bureau meticulously document various aspects of these performances—including dates, repertoire, scheduling, duration, venues, as well as costumes, props, and performers—reflecting a highly regulated framework. These performances can thus be understood as a“ritual component”integral to the palace’s seasonal celebrations. However, the dramas’inherently strong entertaining nature meant that, despite their ritual role, they were prone to adaptations in response to shifting secular popular trends.
Among these, the Yanjiu Festival stands out as particularly unique. This festival is simultaneously the birthday of Qiu Chuji of Quanzhen Taoism, an important folk festival at Beijing’s Baiyun Guan, and the final day of the Lantern Festival holiday marking the transition to spring farming. Thus, it carries multiple layers of meaning—religious, folk, and seasonal. This complex significance is reflected in the performance scripts through interesting imagery borrowing, shifting, and blending, which allowed continuous performance records of the festival from the Qianlong to the Guangxu reigns, spanning over a century. During this period, notable changes occurred across the Qianlong, Daoguang, and Guangxu reigns. Qianlong established ritual regulations for the Yanjiu Festival performances, framing them as functional tools serving imperial order through faith, moral education, and Ritual. For example, the theatrical motif of“seeking immortals”was interpreted as“only loyal and filial people can become Taoist immortals,”serving the purpose of moral instruction in human ethics. Additionally, Qiu Chuji’s Taoist name“Changchun Zhenren”was translated into the imagery of“spring,”incorporating prayers for spring planting and harvest, and exhorting people to diligently cultivate their fields.
During the Daoguang reign, many of these original functions were relaxed. Although the ceremonial form of theatrical performances was retained in accordance with established ritual protocol, the festival dramas were restructured into opening and closing ritual segments, with Kunqu and Yiqiang short plays inserted in the middle. This restructuring reflected Daoguang’s personal aesthetic and preferences in theatrical taste. Moreover, from among the existing Yanjiu Festival scripts, Daoguang selected Shengmu Xunxing and Qunxian Fuhui for performance—both plays stood out for their character portrayals, lyrical and spoken texts, and stage performances compared to other works, indicating the emperor’s artistic standards for dramatic content. From that point on, these two plays, particularly Shengmu Xunxing, became standard performances for every Yanjiu Festival, a custom that continued until the end of the Qing dynasty.
By the Guangxu reign, the system and form of theatrical performances remained largely unchanged; however, the older plays no longer satisfied the aesthetic preferences of the principal powers of the empire. Alongside a substantial influx of folk Pihuang opera into the palace, newly composed court dramas also appeared. The newly created play Chun Tai Xie Qing imitated the plots and characters of the two plays Shengmu Xunxing, but, focusing entirely on entertainment, it completely departed from religious connotations. Incorporating more popular entertainment elements, it was performed as a festive drama celebrating the emperor’s or empress dowager’s birthday and offering grand congratulations for the Lunar New Year. This development reflects the late Qing court’s evolving attitude toward festival theatrical performances.